Horse-detacher



'(No Mode-1.)

13.1". RACHAL. HORSE DBTAGHER.'

No. 465,388. PatentedDeo. 15, 1891.l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.`

PAUL FIRMIN RAOHAL, OF FORT JESUP, LOUISIANA.

HoR'sE-DETAoHER;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,388, dated December 15, 1891.

Application filed April 25, 1891. Serial No. 390,449. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PAUL FIRMIN RACHAL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Jesnp, in the parish of Sabine and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Vhifiietree, of which the following is a specitication.

The invention relates to improvements in whiftletrees.

The object of the present invention is to silnplify and improve the means for attaching traces to a whiftletree, to enable the traces to be quickly released and secured to facilitate harnessing, and to prevent accident to a vehicle and its occupants in case of a runaway.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of an end of a whiflietree constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the saine, the whiffletree-hook and the locking-lever not being sectioned. Fig. 3 is a similar view, the locking-lever being shown in position for releasing the whiftletree-hook.

Referring to the accompanying` drawings, l designates a whifletree having its end 2 bifurcated and adapted to receive the shank 3 of a whiffletree-hook 4, which is secured in the recess or bifurcation by a locking-lever 5.

`Vlhe locking-lever 5 is provided with an enlargement or head 6, which is eccentrically pivoted in the bifurcation and forms a cam to engage the curved recess 7 in the side edge of the shank 3 of the Whiifletree-hook 4. The whiffletree-hook has its shank provided with recesses 7 and 8, the former of which is engaged by the lever and the latter conforms to the curved wall 9 of the bifurcation. By

this construction the shank is provided with an enlarged end and a narrow portion or neck, which is clamped, and the enlarged end prevents the withdrawal of the shank, and the strain on the whiftletree-hook is partially exerted on the head of the locking-lever, which prevents the latter becoming accidentally unlocked. When the lever is locked, it lies against the whiflietree and parallel therewith and may be readily separated therefrom to carry the cam or head out of engagement with the recess 7 to release the whiflietree-hook.

.The enlargement or head 6 is arranged at right angles to lever 5 and has its outer edge slightly concaved and its inner edge conveXly curved similar to one side of a heart, and the head is pivoted near its outer end.

It will readily be seen that the Whifl'letreehook can be readily secured to the whiffletree and released therefrom, thereby enabling a horse to be readily detached to prevent accident to a vehicle or its occupants and to facilitate hitching and unhitching, and the whiffletree-hook and locking-lever can be readily arranged at either end'of awhiflietree Without changing the construction.

What I claim is- 1. The combination of a whifletree having its end bifurcated, an independent whifl'letreehook fitting in the bifurcation and being entirely removable therefrom when not in use, and a lever pivoted in the bifurcation and detachably securing the whifIletree-hook to the whiffletree, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a whifletree having its ends bifureated and provided with the curved Wall, the independent whifl'letree-hook entirely removable from the whiffletree when not in use and having its shank provided with the curved recesses 7 and 8, and the locking-lever provided with an enlargement or head eccentrically pivoted in the bifurcat-ion and havingits inneredge convexlycurved and forming a cam engaging the recess 7and detachably securing the whiflletree-hook to the whifetree, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL FIRMIN BACI-IAL. Witnesses: Y

WM. H. BARBEE, AMos L. PoNDER. 

